The land where the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan is situated today had been a seat of world’s leading
Civilizations from the time immemorial. There is plenty of evidence from the pre-historic
and historic period to support this argument, e.g. fossil jaws of apes, circa 14 millions years old found from Pothohar. They
belong to a species named “Sivapithecus Pakininsis”, said to be the ancestor of
Man. A 2 million years old earliest stone hand axe. Now on display in Islamabad Museum,
Islamabad.
The legacy of our predecessors at the time of our
independence, on August 14, 1947, came to us as a treasure which may be called as
Pakistan’s national heritage. So rich and diversified is this heritage that Pakistani
nation can be proud of its glorious past, be Islamic, Post Islamic or pre-Islamic period
as far back as pre-historic times. No other country of the world can produce the treasure
of by gone days as can be found in Pakistan. It is now incumbent upon us to treasure our
national heritage and save it from further deterioration and theft.
The establishment of NFCH is much appreciated and a great interest is shown by the general
public hence since its establishment in 1994 hundreds of proposals were received from
different agencies and individuals for the conservation, preservation and publication of
the Pakistan’s national heritage. It is hoped that with the continued patronage of
the government, the Philanthropists and the Business Community to the NFCH we shall be
able to achieve .
The Cultural Heritage of Pakistan is spread over the centuries, starting from pre-historic times to the present day and which may be summarized in the following periods: